Technology Planning Task Force

Related Links

Purpose: This task force is charged with addressing and making recommendations on the governance, strategy, and financial support for judicial branch technology. They work in partnership with the courts and with input from branch stakeholders.

Note that a Judicial Council Technology Committee meeting is scheduled for the end of July 2014 to review a report to the Judicial Council regarding the Court Technology Governance and Strategic Plan. The notice, agenda, and meeting materials for the July meeting will be posted at that committee’s webpage as required under California Rules of Court, rules 10.75(e)(1) and 10.75(h).

The task force and its associate members hold teleconferences on a regular basis and provide updates to the Judicial Council.

Strategic Plan - led by Brian Cotta, Chief Information Officer, Superior Court of California, County of Fresno; and

Funding- led by Judge Marsha Slough, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.

October 27 and 28, 2014: The Judicial Council approved the updated Court Technology Governance and Strategic Plan.At its public meeting on October 27 and 28, the Judicial Council approved a recommendation from its Technology Committee on an updated governance and strategic plan for court technology. This plan represents the work of the Technology Planning Task Force that was authorized by the Chief Justice in February 2013, whose charge was to develop a strategic plan, a tactical plan, technical guidelines, and opportunities for courts to collaborate along with a sustainable funding model for technology. At the August 2014 Council meeting, this plan was approved with the understanding it would come back to the Council at the October meeting with updates related to language access. With the submittal of the plan to the Council in August, the task force has sunset. The updated plan incorporates the additional feedback provided by the Joint Working Group for California’s Language Access Plan.

August 21 and 22, 2014: The Judicial Council Approved the Court Technology Governance and Strategic PlanAt its public meeting on August 21-22, the Judicial Council approved a recommendation from its Technology Committee on a governance and strategic plan for court technology. The plan provides a structure and roadmap for technology initiatives and will increase the transparency and accountability of how funds are managed for technology projects in the judicial branch.“The courts need an updated technology plan in order to better serve the public and our users by keeping the electronic courthouse doors open,” said Judge James E. Herman, advisory member of the Judicial Council and chair of its Technology Committee. “The Chief Justice has made it clear that remote access through technology is a vital part of her 3D access to justice program. These planning documents are a grassroots effort involving 19 trial courts and 3 appellate courts, supported by the Judicial Council's Information Technology staff. The effort has also benefitted from input provided by presiding judges, branch stakeholders, and the public.” The Judicial Council directed creation of the technology plan in August 2012. Creating the technology plan also involved input from the Legislature and the executive branch, as well as posting it online for public comment.

Jan 23, 2014: The task force's proposal, reviewed and approved in concept by the Judicial Council on Jan 23, to be used in support of the budget change proposal process for technology initiatives will be posted soon for public comment. Once comment is gathered and reviewed, the task force will re-submit it for final approval at a future council meeting. See council's post-meeting news release.

Following the Oct 2012 Judicial Branch Technology Summit, the Chief Justice authorized the creation of this new task force. In Feb 2013, the task force membership was announced.

This task force reports to the Judicial Council's internal Technology Committee. This task force does not implement, execute, or select solutions. It meets on a regular basis to discuss and propose structure, models, and areas of focus. This task force will terminate in 2014. Its membership is broken up into three tracks: Governance, Strategy, and Funding.

Vision Statement:

Through collaboration, initiative, and innovation on a state-wide and local level, the judicial branch adopts and uses technology to improve access to justice and provide a broader range and higher quality of services to the courts, litigants, lawyers, justice partners and the public.

The task force is to work collaboratively to define judicial branch technology governance in terms of statewide versus local decision-making, to develop a strategic plan for technology across all court levels that provides a vision and direction for technology within the branch, and to develop recommendations for a stable, long-term funding source for supporting branch technology, as well as a delineation of technology funding sources. More specifically, the task force will:

Work collaboratively with the courts and judicial branch stakeholders;

Develop a comprehensive branchwide plan for technology governance that will delineate the parameters of state versus local decision-making for technology initiatives;

Develop a Strategic Plan for Technology that will provide direction and vision for technology within the branch;

Develop a Tactical Plan for Technology that will define the steps needed to achieve the goals defined in the strategic plan;

Develop administrative and technical guidelines;

Identify and promote trial court collaboration and consortiums for the benefit of technology;

Develop recommendations for a stable, long-term funding source for judicial branch technology; and

Timeline:Feb 2013: Membership appointed by Chief Justice (news release) Feb 27, 2013: In-person kick-off meeting held in San FranciscoMar 18, 2013: TeleconferenceApr 23, 2013: Teleconference Dec 2013: Process update delivered to Council (Audio + Presentation) Jan 2014: Provide updated proposals to Council (Audio + Presentation)April 17, 2014: Submit proposal for public commentJune 16, 2004: Close of public commentAugust 2014: Submit final proposal to Council for approval (Audio + Presentation) With the Judicial Council’s approval of the Court Technology Governance and Strategic Plan at their August 2014 meeting, the work of the Technology Planning Task Force was complete, and the task force officially sunset.